Free Shows Will be Presented Online
on Friday Evenings:
7 p.m. “Night Sky” Program
8 p.m. Feature Show
July 12 show — "Putting the ‘Sci’ in Sci-Fi" — What happens when basic physics takes a back seat
to familiar special effects?
July 19 show — "Search for Life Beyond Earth" — Is this blue marble the only place life exists in the universe?
July 26 show — "Mission Close-up: Parker Solar Probe" — The latest on NASA’s “mission to touch the Sun.”
See below for show details.
Planetarium this week
Free, live, virtual public shows!
Zoom link for July Friday evening shows
Invitation links to the live online events are generally posted the Thursday before. These programs are only available LIVE on Friday evenings, and on the occasional Matinee dates, normally Sundays. Clicking on the Zoom links at other times will not work.
Please scroll down beyond the calendar for notes on upcoming 8 p.m. programs
We also look forward to the expanded capabilities of the new planetarium and observatory SMC is building for opening in winter 2025.
Jim Mahon
Planetarium Lecturer
Weekly Night Sky Show
The Night Sky programs will last roughly 30 - 40 minutes, followed by a short question and answer period where guests can type questions into a chat box and we will answer as many questions as possible. There will be a short intermission at approximately 7:50 p.m. prior to the start of the Feature program at 8 p.m.
Feature Programs
Note that all 8 p.m. feature programs are preceded by the 7 p.m. “Night Sky” program described above.
Currently all presentations are online ONLY, with the exception of occasional observing programs.
July 12: “Putting the ‘Sci’ in Sci-Fi” — Planetarium Lecturers Sarah Vincent and Jim Mahon. What happens when basic physics takes a back seat to familiar (even expected) special effects? Answer: sound in space! Drescher Planetarium lecturers present their top sci-fi pet peeves, and discuss what could make these moments more realistic.
July 19: “Search for Life Beyond Earth” — Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent. The only known life in the universe is right here on Earth, but is this blue marble the only place it exists? Scientists are actively searching for life elsewhere. Tonight’s show explores where science is looking for extraterrestrial life and how it might be found.
July 26: “Mission Close-up: Parker Solar Probe” — Planetarium Lecturer Sarah Vincent. The Parker Solar Probe — NASA’s “mission to touch the Sun” — is the fastest spacecraft ever flown. Tonight’s show takes a closer look at the only functioning craft to fly through the Sun’s corona.
Location of Planetarium (Currently closed)
Drescher Hall, 2nd Floor
1900 Pico Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Campus Map
The Drescher Planetarium is located in the middle of the second floor of Drescher Hall on the north side of the Santa Monica College campus. Drescher Hall is the three story brown building on the South East corner of Pico Blvd. and 17th Street. We are in Santa Monica, south of the 10 (Santa Monica) Freeway and west of the 405 (San Diego) Freeway.